nethead

Yes as SB stated that is because kids are being given the varicella vaccine (in the US) shingles has become more prevalent.

My point was that instead of thinking, hey this is a real problem let's perhaps review the varicella vax, the makers have seen it as another way of making money by stating they should be vaxing shingles. There is a vax for it already available to the over 60's. I'm not unsympathetic to your suffering or of Pollyana's, my mum had it too and I know how bad it can be.

HunterGreen

Ah, that made that clearer to me. The kidlet had the chicken pox and was pretty sick from it, but had no lasting damage besides some scars. The Netherlands doesn't vaccinate against it.

madeofkent

Okay only had a brief look through this thread but what if the child in question had appendicitis or sepsis Vomiting can be a first sign of both... then imagin being on a plane 4 1/2 hour either way from landing...

TaraC

I never had the vaccination and got it anyway, so I don't know if there's a real correlation there. Everything I've read is that shingles can be induced by stress and the reason it's becoming so prevalent in people in their 30s is the increasing stress levels. It hit me when I was flying back and forth trying to plan my wedding in the UK, selling my house to move to Virginia, trying to finish jobs etc etc., so that explanation worked for me.

I'm no lover of pharms, but in this case I'd be happy never to get shingles again!

nethead

This may explain it better than me:

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=12896

Ozzidoc

Nice link, it is explained well there.
Of course my question is where did they get the death stats from? Chicken pox deaths are due to lung problems (the lungs get infected). But I bet that the shingles deaths were people who died WITH not because of shingles.

I like the idea of exposure to chicken pox kidlets being like a mini-booster.

I don't like seeing 2 week old babies with chicken pox - maybe that's why some (older) people say that babies shouldn't leave the house until they are a few (six?) weeks old.

meauxna

After asking women about this in Greece, Mexico, Spain and all the C American countries I've been to that practice this custom... I think it's more a case of 'don't get attached.. just in case'.

Ozzidoc

Oh. I hadn't thought of that.

meauxna

Well, the Greeks say it's so the baby doesn't get the evil eye from anyone (it's bad form there to coo over babies.. the gods might get jealous).

TaraC

Interesting article. Is the US doing mandatory CP vaccines now? All five of my nieces and nephews - born and bred in the US - have had CP, the last one just a couple of years ago, so I'm wondering if the vaccine is a new thing.

I have to say since being back in the UK, I've noticed a lot more reticence on the part of the docs here to not medicating, especially with antibiotics. Their approach seems to be working. I had a terrible ear ache last year, combined with bronchitis. My US doc would certainly have given antibiotics, but the one here asked if I would just take pain pills and wait it out - so I did. It passed after a week of Night Nurse and feeling miserable, and I haven't been sick at all in the three months since. Considering I'm hanging out with 80 students from all corners of the earth, I think that's pretty remarkable (especially as I had a transatlantic flight in the middle of the term, which would normally see me coming down with a cold). Seriously wondering if the UK doctors may have a point with all this.

Pollyana

Definitely the stress thing with me - got it just after I emigrated to Aus, think I'd been here about 4-5 months....

We didn't even realise what it was at the time, just thought it was a fever, stress from emigrating and having a kr*p job, and really badly infected eczema, shingles never even occured to me - or to the doctor that gave me a sick note for work
When I realised my eyes were getting worse and worse I went to an optician, saw an eye consultant, none of them ever mentioned a possibility of shingles, just gave me glasses.
Then two years later I was visiting my niece when she caught chicken pox, and my sister was looking some stuff up on the net, which included info on shingles........and described exactly what I'd been through, and mentioned eye damage. When I next saw the optician he agreed it was probably shingles, and the doctor should ahve spotted it and got treatment for my eyes at the time.

dunroving

To be fair, these particular children were jumping up and down in their seats, and caused an adult to spill drink over herself. I was no angel as a kid but I know I understood how to behave in public - even when I was very young (because I've been told so )

[Later edit: oops, just saw this was a relatively old post - Just ignore me, I'll catch up eventually!]

Baby75

I can see that point I wouldn't let my children do that and not say anything! its different when they are just upset and every thing you try doesnt work add that to being on a plane stress city alright